Brand Launch of the Year 2018

Between 2013 and 2016 the brand suffered 3 years of significant decline, declining by 5% per year, driven by increasing competition from fresh and chilled foods, increasing private label competition, and a flawed strategy of focusing on 'white space' innovation.

In 2017 it dramatically changed its business strategy and relaunched the brand in order to focus on its core hero platforms such as Captain Birds Eye, Garden Peas, and Chicken. The programme included a significant increase in brand investment and packaging redesign, over £4m investment in product quality improvements, all new brand campaigns across the core, and a transformation of media support towards digital communications.

The relaunch of the brand and focus on improving consumer engagement led to an incredible turnaround in the brand, leading to growth in core brands of 5% in 2017 and significant improvement in brand equity and consumer closeness to the brand. This has had a significant impact on the momentum of the business, has driven an increase in confidence, and has given the business the platform and generated the cash to develop its acquisition strategy, such as the recently announced intention to purchase the Goodfella's Pizza business from 2 Sisters Food Group. It also had a material impact on the holding company's share price, Nomad Foods, which appreciated in share price by 62% in 2017.